The sounds of summer in West Philadelphia, on Penn’s campus, just got sweeter. Penn Museum’s Silk Road Summer Nights music series offers city residents, commuters, and happy hour denizens an introduction to the music of the Silk Road. The Silk Road theme is offered to herald the coming of a new major exhibition from China, Secrets of the Silk Road, making its East Coast stop at the Penn Museum February 5, 2011 through June 5, 2011.

Silk Road Summer Nights music series takes place every Wednesday through August 25, from 5 to 8 p.m., in the Penn Museum’s Warden Garden and includes diverse musical groups performing music fused with jazz, rock, and more. Silk Road Summer Nights gives respite from the heat with the opportunity to sip drinks, enjoy light fare, explore the garden, and listen to live music inspired by ancient stops along the famed Silk Road trading route that brought east and west together.

This Penn Museum program provides a diverse happy hour destination with a verdant outdoor, wi-fi space to unwind in after work. Select Museum galleries will be open. Event occurs rain or shine. Admission is pay-what-you-want.

The new summer music series features a mix of artists:

July 14:Philadelphia Mandolin Ensemble
The Ensemble plays an eclectic repertoire of music from the 16th to 21st century and features a range of instruments including mandolins, mandolas, a mandocello, and guitars.

July 21:Animus
Bill Koutsouros and his team of musicians create an exiting fusion of ancient and modern music featuring traditional elements of Greek, Rock, Middle Eastern, Blues, Indian, Jazz, Latin, Jewish Klezmer, African, and more. Audience members experience a variety of grooves and tribal rhythms from this internationally acclaimed ensemble. www.animusmusic.com

Animus performs during the Penn Museum’s Silk Road Summer Nights music series on Wednesday, July 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Warden Garden.

August 11:Peter Tang’s Chinese Ensemble
Peter Tang performed extensively in China before moving to Philadelphia in 2000 and founding the Peter Tang Chinese Ensemble. His acclaimed musical group offers an aural and visual performance of classical Chinese music featuring instruments such as the erhu (Chinese violin) and the guzheng (zither).

August 18:Aravod
Aravod Ensemble took its name from the Armenian word for “morning” or “dawn” and pulls their diverse repertoire of music from traditional and modern Armenian, Greek and Arab influences.

August 25:Mid East Ensemble featuring Joseph Tayoun, Roger Mgrdichian, Elias Sarkar & William Tayoun.
Accomplished Middle Eastern percussionist and second generation Lebanese-American Joe Tayoun has been performing since he was 8-years-old. His Mid East Ensemble features acclaimed local, regional and international musicians who often played at his family’s restaurant, The Middle East Restaurant, which was a landmark for Middle Eastern music, dance, food and culture in Philadelphia for 40 years. The Ensemble performs a lively arrangement of classical and folk Arabic, Turkish, and Armenian music.